Disposable foam plastic cup dispenser



July 19, 1966 McGLYNN 3,261,500

DISPOSABLE FOAM PLASTIC CUP DISPENSER Filed April 15, 1964 INVENTOR THOMAS P. Mc GLYNN ATTORNEYS United States Patent.

3,261,500 DISPUSABLE FOAM PLASTIC CUP DISPENSER Thomas P. McGlynn, Short Hills, N.J., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 15, 1964, Ser. No. 359,851 6 Claims. (Cl. 221-63) This invention relates to a novel disposable foam plastic cup dispenser constructed from a single integral sheet of formed foam material and folded along a longitudinal fold line to hold a plurality of stacked paper cups in a dispensing position and is particularly adapted to be discarded upon the dispensing of the stack of cups.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel disposable cup dispenser which doubles as a shelf package containing a plurality of cups in nested stacked relationship whereby a consumer can purchase the combined dispenser and stacked cups as a unit and upon dispensing of the last cup, dispose of the cup dispenser.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel disposable cup dispenser which includes a pair of generally U-shaped body portions in opposed face-to-face relationship, the body portions being formed from a single integral sheet of molded plastic material and being folded along a single longitudinal fold line, longitudinal edges of the body portions being secured together to define a generally tubular dispensing body of the dispenser, a bottom end portion of the body being opened to define a cup-dispensing opening, and a plurality of inwardly directed cup-retaining projections adjacent the opening to maintain a plurality of stacked cups in the dispenser yet permit the dispensing of a lowermost one of the cups.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel disposable cup dispenser of the type immediately abovedescribed in which one of the body portions includes a generally flat planar panel, pressure sensitive adhesive being applied to the planar panel, and a removable protective strip overlying the adhesive whereupon removal of the strip, the dispenser can be secured to a generally vertical supporting surface.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel disposable cup dispenser of the type heretofore described in which each of the body portions includes a partial closure for sealing an upper end portion of the body along a generally transverse edge portion while the body portions are secured to each other opposite the longitudinal fold line along contacting longitudinal edge portions.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel method of packaging a plurality of cups in a disposable dispenser of the type including at least a pair of generally U-shaped bodies joined along a longitudinal fold line, the bodies having partial closures at one end and cup-retaining projections at an opposite end, comprising the steps of at least nesting a plurality of cups having peripheral lips in a stack, placing the stack of nested cups in one of the U-shaped bodies with the lip of an outermost cup adjacent the cup-retaining projections, folding the bodies relative to each other about the longitudinal fold line to bring the bodies into opposed face-to-face relationship and defining therebetween a cup-receiving chamber, and securing contacting edge portions of the bodies to each other.

With the above, and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of a novel cup Patented July 19, 1966 dispenser of this invention, and illustrates in phantom outline, a plurality of stacked cups positioned in one of a pair of body portions of the dispenser prior to closing the dispenser.

FIGURE 2 is a top perspective view of the disposable cup dispenser of FIGURE 1, and illustrates the dispenser after the body portions have been folded relative to each other along a longitudinal fold line.

FIGURE 3 is a top perspective view of the dispenser of FIGURE 2, and illustrates a removable protective strip covering an adhesive coated panel of the dispenser.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken along line 44 of FIGURE 3, and illustrates the relationship between a plurality of inwardly directed cupretaining projections and the stack of cups in the dispenser.

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 4, and more clearly illustrates the relationship between the cup-retaining projections and a lowermost one of the plurality of stacked cups.

Referring to the drawing in particular, a novel disposable cup dispenser constructed in accordance with this invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10. The dispenser 10 is preferably constructed from a single flat sheet of foam plastic material, such as polystyrene foam, which is formed or molded in a conventional manner into first and second substantially identical body portions 11 and 12 joined together along an integral longitudinal fold line 13 (FIGURE 4).

Each of the body portions 11 and 12 includes three substantially identical longitudinal body panels 14 through 16 which are arranged in a generally U-shaped configuration, as viewed in FIGURE 1 of the drawing. The longitudinal panels 14 through 16 terminate in respective triangular panels 17 through 19 at a first end portion (unnumbered) of each of the bodies 11 and 12 to define a partial closure 20 at an upper end portion of each of the bodies 11 and 12, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawing. An identical radially inwardly directed cup-retaining projection 21 having a rounded shoulder 22 is integrally formed in the panels 14 through 16 of each of the bodies 11 and 12 at a second or bottom end portion (unnumbered).

The panels 16 of the dispenser bodies 11 and 12 each terminates in an identical longitudinal edge portion 23 while the panels 17 and 19 of the partial closures 20 each terminates at a generally transverse edge portion 24 of each of the bodies 11 and 12.

Each of the panels 14 through 16 is relatively flat and planar and a pressure sensitive adhesive 25 (FIGURES 3 and 4) is applied to the panel 15 of the body portion 11 to permit the dispenser 10 to be readily and effectively secured to a generally planar supporting surface, such as a wall, when in use. A removable protective strip of material 26 (FIGURES 3 and 4) overlies the pressure sensitive adhesive 25 but can be readily removed therefrom, as shown in FIGURE 3, when it is desired to expose the adhesive 25 and secure the disposable cup dispenser 10 to a supporting surface.

With the cup dispenser 10 in the fully open position thereof illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawing, aplurality of paper drinking cups P having lips or curls L are nested to form a stack S which is inserted in either of the body portions 11 or 12, the stack S being illustrated in the U-shaped body portion 12 of the dispenser 10 in FIGURE 1. The lip L of an outermost or lowermost of the cups P forming the stack S rests upon the rounded shoulders 22 of the cup-retaining projections 21 of the body portion 12. The body portion 11 is folded relative to the body portion 12 about the longitudinal fold line 13 until the body portions 11 and 12 are in opposed face-to-face relationship (FIGURE 4) and the longitudinal edge portions 23 as well as the transverse edge portions 24 are in contact. The longitudinal edge portions 23 and the transverse edge portions 24 are preferably secured together by a conventional heat sealing operation adajacent the panels 16, 17 and 19. In lieu of such a heat sealing operation, the edge portions 23 and 24 of either of the body portions 11 and 12 can be provided with an adhesive A for securing the body portions 11 and 12 in face-to-face opposed relationship.

After the stack of paper cups S have been positioned in the dispenser 10 and the body portions 11 and 12 thereof have been secured together, the longitudinal edge portions 23 and the transverse edge portions 24 are suitably trimmed in a conventional manner, as is illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings. In the final form of the dispenser 10 illustrated in FIGURES 3 through of the drawings, the panels 14 through 16 define a generally hexagonally shaped cup chamber C (FIGURE 4) opening outwardly through a bottom end portion (unnumbered) of a dispensing throat T (FIGURE 5).

The dispenser with the stack of cups S retained therein by the cup-retaining projections 22 is then preferably provided with an overwrap (not shown) which prevents contamination of the cups P. The dispenser 10, the cups P and the overwrap form a package for the cups P which is purchased by a consumer. The overwrap is removed and after the removal of the protective strip 26 (FIGURE 3) the dispenser 10 can be secured to a supporting surface by the pressure sensitive adhesive 25.

The cups P are dispensed in a singular fashion through the throat T (FIGURE 5) of the dispenser 10 in a known manner with the shoulders 22 of the radially inwardly directed cup-retaining projections 21 preventing more than a single cup from being dispensed at one time in a well known manner. After the last of the cups P has been removed from the dispenser 10, the dispenser 10 is merely discarded and replaced with a completely new filled dispenser.

Though the dispenser It has been described as being constructed from a single piece of foam plastic material, it is also considered within the scope of this invention to form the dispenser 10 from two separate body portions, similar to the portions 11 and 12 and either adhesively or heat seal the same together along two longitudinal edge portions in lieu of the longitudinal fold line 13.

The dispenser formed from two separate body portions just described would be filled in a manner similar to that heretofore described in the consideration of the cup dispenser 1%. That is, a plurality of paper drinking cups P having lips or curls L are nested to form a stack S which is inserted in either of the separate body portions of the dispenser. The unfilled body portion is then positioned atop the filled body portion and the body portions are then preferably heat sealed together along three sides of the dispenser corresponding to the edge portions 23, 24 and the fold line 13 of the cup dispenser 10. Adhesive, rather than heat sealing may be applied to the three sides of the dispenser prior to overlying the body portions relative to each other or thereafter.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out 'the desired end. However, attention is again directed to the fact that additional variations may be made in this invention without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A disposable cup dispenser comprising first and second substantially identical general semi-cylindrical body portions, said body portions being formed from a single integral sheet of molded plastic material, a longitudinal fold line joining said body portions, each of said body portions including upper and lower end port-ions, said upper end portion of each body portion defining a partial closure, each partial closure being defined by a single-thickness wall, each partial closure having a generally transverse edge portion, each body portion having a generally longitudinal edge portion, said gener-ally semi-cylindrical body portions being folded into opposed face-to-face relationship about said longitudinal fold line with the transverse and longitudinal edge portions being in intimate contact to define a cup-receiving chamber, means securing said edge port-ions together, and means at said lower end portions for releasably retaining cups in said cup-retaining chamber.

2. The disposable cup. dispense-r as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of the body portions includes a generally flat planar panel, pressure sensitive adhesive applied to said planar panel, and a removable protective strip overlying said adhesive.

3. A disposable cup dispenser comprising first and second substantially identical body portions, said body portions being formed from a single integral sheet of foam plastic material, a longitudinal fold line joining said body portions, each body portion being generally U-shaped in transverse section, each body portion including upper and lower end portions, said upper end portion of each body portion defining a partial closure, each partial closure being defined by a single-thickness wall, each partial closure having a generally transverse edge portion, said first and second body portions having respective first and second longitudinal edge portions, said U-shaped body portions being folded into opposed face-to-face relationship about said longitudinal fold line with the transverse and longitudinal edge portions in abutment to define an elongated cup-receiving chamber, means securing said edge portions together, at least one of the body portions including a generally flat planar panel, pressure sensitive adhesive applied to said planar panel, a removable protective strip overlying said adhesive, and a plurality of integral inwardly directed resilient cup-retaining projections at said lower end portions.

4. A disposable cup dispenser comprising first and second separate substantially identical generally semicylindrical body portions, each of said body portions being formed from a single integral sheet of molded plastic material, a longitudinal heat sealed edge portion joining said body portions, each of said body portions including upper and lower end portions, said upper end portion of each body portion defining a partial closure, each partial closure having a generally transverse edge portion, each body portion having a generally longitudinal second edge portion, said body portions being positioned in opposed face-to-face relationship with the transverse and longitudinal edge portions being in intimate contact thereby defining a cup-receiving chamber, and means at said lower end portions for releasably retaining cups in said cup retaining chamber.

5. A disposable cup dispenser package comprising a dispenser including first and second substantially identical body portions, said body portions being formed from a single integral sheet of plastic material, said sheet being folded upon itself along only a single fold line joining said body portions to bring said body portions into overlying opposed relationship, each body portion being generally U-shaped in transverse section whereby said body portions define a generally tubular dispenser body, said body portions having opposed contacting free edges, means securing said free edges together to maintain the generally tubular configuration of said body, said tubular body having first and second end portions, means closing one of said end portions, the other of said end portions being open and defining a dispensing opening, a plurality of nested cups in said body, at least one cup partially projecting outwardly of said dispensing opening, means retaining the lowermost cup and the remaining cups in said body, adhesive means on said body for securing said body to a support, means protectively overlying said adhesive means, and a removable overwrap at least partially enclosing said body for preventing contamination of said cups.

6. A disposable cup dispenser package comprising a dispenser including first and second substantially identical body portions, said body portions being formed from a single integral sheet of plastic foam material, said sheet being folded upon itself along only a single fold line joining said body portion to bring said body portions into overlying opposed relationship, each body portion being generally U-shaped in transverse section whereby said body portions define a generally tubular dispenser body, said body portions having opposed contacting flange portions terminating in free severed edges, means securing said flange portions together to maintain the generally tubular configuration of said body, said tubular body having first and second end portions, a single-thickness wall defining a partial closure at one of said end portions, each of said single-thickness walls being secured to each other to define a single-thickness end closure, the other of said end portions being open and defining a dispensing opening, a plurality of nested cups in said body, means for retaining a lowermost cup and remaining cups in said body, said last mentioned means being a plurality of integral inwardly directed resilient cup-retaining projections adjacent said dispensing opening, at least one of said body portions having a generally fiat planar panel, pressure sensitive adhesive applied to an exterior surface of said planar panel, and a removable protective strip overlying said adhesive.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,264,950 5/1918 Luellen 221-63 1,924,053 8/1933 Sheller 53-37 2,186,205 1/1940 Piken 221-63 2,335,914 12/1943 Buttery 221-63 3,041,801 7/1962 Harrison 53-37 3,043,473 12/1962 Katz 221-63 3,069,048 12/1962 Easton et a1. 221-63 3,075,330 1/1963 Swezey 53-30 3,164,298 1/1965 Repko 221-282 3,165,234 1/1965 Conklin et al. 221-63 3,174,644 3/1965 Kaltman et a1 221-63 FOREIGN PATENTS 941,255 11/1963 Great Britain.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

WALTER SOBIN, Examiner. 

1. A DISPOSABLE CUP DISPENSER COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL GENERAL SEMI-CYLINDRICAL BODY PORTIONS, SAID BODY PORTIONS BEING FORMED FROM A SINGLE INTEGRAL SHEET OF MOLDED PLASTIC MATERIAL, A LONGITUDINAL HOLD LINE JOINING SAID BODY PORTIONS, EACH OF SAID BODY PORTIONS INCLUDING UPPER AND LOWER END PORTIONS, SAID UPPER END PORTION OF EACH BODY PORTION DEFINING A PARTIAL CLOSURE, EACH PARTIAL CLOSURE BEING DEFINED BY A SINGLE-THICKNESS WALL, EACH PARTIAL CLOSURE HAVING A GENERALLY TRANSVERSE EDGE PORTION, EACH BODY PORTION HAVING A GENERALLY LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTION, SAID GENERALLY SEMI-CYLINDRICAL BODY PORTIONS BEING FOLDED INTO OPPOSED FACE-TO-FACE RELATIONSHIP ABOUT SAID LONGITUDINAL FOLD LINE WITH THE TRANSVERSE AND LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS BEING IN INTIMATE CONTACT TO DEFINE A CUP-RECEIVING CHAMBER, MEANS SECURING SAID EDGE PORTIONS TOGETHER, AND MEANS AT SAID LOWER END PORTIONS FOR RELEASABLY RETAINING CUPS IN SAID CUP-RETAINING CHAMBER. 